Steve Vai On Touring

Steve Vai with some very honest thoughts about life on tour and tips for selecting band members...

Download all my 2011 songs for free!!!
Other free songs by Matt Blick


[If you're subscribed to this blog via email, you will have to click on the post's title to watch any video content (the link will take you my site).

Mums Who Rock. (Or Not)

What if your Mum was better than you on guitar?

Way better.

(Update - Except Ronnie is a guy. I know I can't criticise having played in Motley Crue cover band in the late 80's but Ronnie! - axe the headscarf man! Even the Africans are confused!)

Thanks to Bokete7 via Samuel Rich.

Related Posts: "Junior! Where have all my pots and pans go! And what have you done with the air-con!"

Free songs by Matt Blick



[If you're subscribed to this blog via email, you will have to click on the post's title to watch any video content (the link will take you my site).

You Have Nothing To Lose But Your Cay-Pos

Jamie Brown has posted and excellent video about using a capo in keys you wouldn't normally think of. Go watch it now!!!

...but...as this is the Internet allow me a little rant.

I know England and America are two nations separated by a common language.

I'm prepared to cut our US brothers all kinds of slack when they feel the need to remove letters from words to make 'em easier to spell.

I'll turn a deaf ear to the stumbling over UK place names (Lie-sester-sheer?).

I'll even grit my teeth and remain silent when they invent new words with exactly the same meaning as a perfectly good words that already exists.

But I can't take hearing another worship leader say they use a CAYPO!

A CAYPO! AAAARRRRGGGGHHHH!

It's a Ca - Po. Hard 'A'.

Please understand me my transatlantic brethren. It's not a UK vs US disagreement. Other nations are upset too.

The root of the word is Italian. It comes from Capo tasto meaning 'head fret,' sometimes also known as capo d'astro/capodastro. 

That's "capo tasto". Go on, say it with hard a's in your best Italian accent. 

"Ca-po Tas-to!"

 Even the name sounds musical! Isn't it beautiful. Fantastico!

Now say it in American.

"Caypo-taysto"

Sounds like a really bad fast food chain, doesn't it.

I rest my case.

Jamie could you please re-dub a version for the UK market?

Related Posts: Small Band Arrangement


Free songs by Matt Blick

Paul Baloche - 2 Modern Classics

Paul Baloche is very generous both with his gifting and his videos!

These songs, What Can I Do?  & Your Name  have been major blessings at my home church.

They might be in your Church too!








Related Posts: You Gave Your Life Away (another great song) 
You gave, you gave your songs away (13 free Paul baloche songs)


Free songs by Matt Blick 


[If you're subscribed to this blog via email, you will have to click on the post's title to watch any video content (the link will take you my site).

Ladies & Gentlemen - John Pointer!

Here's the truly amazing John Pointer, Texas based multi-instrumentalist, producer, arranger, composer and actor. Watch him doing alone what it took 4 members of Led Zeppelin to do, armed only with a guitar, delay pedal, flight case and healthy set of lungs. Amazing...

Kashmir - Solo Acoustic performance by John Pointer (Short) from John Pointer on Vimeo.

Related Posts: John Piper vs. Led Zeppelin
Yuri Lane

Loud, Louder, Loudest

Rock music documentaries seems to be the cinematic soup du jour at the moment (ain't I talkin' fancy!)

First up here's one I really enjoyed Iron Maiden: Flight 666. I was impressed by the genuine camaraderie show by the band, and the mature attitude to personal space they have, playing golf, taking their kids along on tour, sight seeing and, yes, flying 757 jets.




Here's one not on release yet but looks fascinating, It Might Get Loud. Jimmy Page, The Edge & Jack White in an aircraft hangar, talking about guitars...





And last, one that looks funny and heartbreaking at the same time, The Story Of Anvil.
I wonder if the whole thing is a laugh at Anvil's expense, rather like the awful singers always set up to fail in the early rounds of The Pop Factor's Got Talent?

Related Posts: John Piper vs. Led Zeppelin
My top 5 weirdest gigs


Zach Nielsen saw one first.

The Guitar (and other percussion instruments)

Lead guitar is easy.
Watch the amazing Gabriela put the rhythm back into rhythm guitar.

Brenton Brown saw it first

A Narrative of (Three) Surprising Conversions

.

(These are the first 2. Read about the 3rd here).

Heavy Metal bassists aren't know for their literary prowess but Reginald 'Fieldy' Arvizu of Korn has recently published his autobiography Got the Life: My Journey of Addiction, Faith, Recovery, and "Korn" chronicling among other things his conversion to Christ which took place as a “slow process” over three-and-a-half years. This remarkable event follows on the heels of the conversion of Korn guitarist Brian 'Head' Welch in 2005.


Whereas Head left the band primarily to be a full time single parent to his 6 year old daughter, Fieldy is remaining in the band. Here in an interview on beliefnet.com he explains his strategies for avoiding temptation on the tour...

When I first made my change, I was thrown right back out on tour into that dark circle of partying and all that, and I didn't have a problem with it. I would just change my schedule to working out in the daytime and going out and seeing the city—just flipping my schedule around so I'm not just sitting around. Things tend to get more negative and dark at night. It's a waste for me to be out there sober and hanging out with a bunch of people partying.

Asked for advice to those struggling with addictions...

Remove yourself from wherever the craving is. If you're in the kitchen and you're craving some chocolate cake, go outside and go on a run or go on a walk...I've found one of the most powerful things for me that I turned to for a lot of years is in Corinthians 10, verse 11.

"The temptations in your life are no different than what others experience, and God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure."

Read More about Fieldy and Head

Check out the Book - Got the Life: My Journey of Addiction, Faith, Recovery, and "Korn"

Related Posts: A narrative of three surprising conversions (pt 2)